Boat insurance in Rhode Island

How does Rhode Island boat insurance work?

Your boat insurance policy's liability coverage may help pay for your guest's injuries or damages if you're legally responsible for them. Boat insurance policies may also help cover theft or damages to your boat due to vandalism when you carry comprehensive and collision coverage.

Most lenders require you to have boat insurance in order to get a loan for a boat or personal watercraft. Private marinas and docks may also ask you for proof of insurance before they let you dock your boat at their property.

What's included in a standard Progressive Rhode Island boat insurance policy?

Property damage liability coverage may pay for damages to another boat, marina, or dock if your boat caused the damage. It may cover legal fees related to the incident as well. Bodily injury liability coverage may help with medical and legal expenses if someone on your boat, on another boat, or in the water is injured and you are responsible. Regarding coverage limits, choose a limit that can best protect you and your assets. An umbrella policy can offer extra protection, typically up to $5 million, if you need more than the maximum $500,000 liability limit on a typical boat insurance policy.

Learn more about liability coverage and boat insurance.

Watersport coverage can help pay for medical costs associated with accidents involving on-the-water sports, such as tubing and skiing.

Fuel spill covers legally required cleanup costs associated with spilled fuel, no matter how it happened.

Wreckage removal coverage may pay for removal of your boat from the water in the event it sinks and removal is legally required.

Optional boat coverages

Comprehensive and collision coverage provides two types of protection. Collision coverage covers accidents involving other boats and stationary objects, such as buoys and docks. On the other hand, comprehensive coverage covers the cost to replace or repair your boat for events outside of your control, such as fire, theft, and vandalism. This type of coverage may be helpful if you tend to store your boat during the long winter months when your boat is not in use. If you're financing your boat, your lender will likely require both comprehensive and collision. Learn more about comprehensive and collision coverage for boats.

Propulsion Plus mechanical breakdown coverage will help pay for repairs if the lower unit of an outboard motor or the upper and lower units of an inboard/outboard motor suffer a mechanical breakdown — even if it's from wear and tear.

Sign & Glide® towing assistance^† will help if your boat is stuck on the water with on-water towing, jump starts, fuel delivery, and more.

See all boat insurance coverages.

How much is boat insurance in Rhode Island?

Rhode Island has its fair share of lakes and ponds in addition to 40 miles of Atlantic Ocean coastline. Rhode Island is considered a high-cost state when it comes to boat insurance. However, many factors determine the cost of Rhode Island boat insurance (in addition to the type of coverage you opt for), including:

• Boating experience: More experienced boaters may pay less for boat insurance than newer boaters.
• Your age: Generally, the older you are, the more affordable your rate may be.
• Claims history: This may include both at-fault and no-fault claims.
• Make, model, and year of the boat: Insuring larger, older, or more expensive boats often leads to higher premiums.

How can I lower my boat insurance rate in Rhode Island?

Discounts vary by state, but in Rhode Island, you may be able to lower your insurance rate if:

• Original owner: You're the original owner; you're entitled to a discount on your boat insurance policy.
• Multi-policy discount: You have another policy with Progressive; you can bundle and save on boat insurance.
• Safety course: You completed a Rhode Island-approved safety course.
• Multi-boat discount: You insure more than one watercraft on your Progressive boat policy.

See if you qualify for more boat insurance discounts.

How to get boat insurance in Rhode Island